As a youngster, 50 years ago, I worked as the rigger at a sailboat storage/sales yard on Lake Michigan. One of my jobs was to go to the top of a mast to work on masthead equipment. From the top of a 40-foot to 50-foot mast, I could see wakes coming from 3 miles away. They never dissipated significantly—in fact, we had an emergency signal to the line-handler at the base of the mast. When the wake was about 100 yards away, he would rapidly lower me to the deck until the wake broke up on the bulkhead that the boat was tied to. Then I’d go back to the top of the mast until the next wake.
The boat yard manager called the Coast Guard numerous times to complain, but since it wasn’t a no-wake zone, not much could be done. If I’d been injured significantly, we could have gone after the wake-maker, but by the time the wake would hit us, the wake-maker would be long gone.
Ron Dwelle
Prairie 36, Prairie Dog, Florida
Eagle 32, Mossy Paws, Michigan
As a youngster, 50 years ago, I worked as the rigger at a sailboat storage/sales yard on Lake Michigan. One of my jobs was to go to the top of a mast to work on masthead equipment. From the top of a 40-foot to 50-foot mast, I could see wakes coming from 3 miles away. They never dissipated significantly—in fact, we had an emergency signal to the line-handler at the base of the mast. When the wake was about 100 yards away, he would rapidly lower me to the deck until the wake broke up on the bulkhead that the boat was tied to. Then I’d go back to the top of the mast until the next wake.
The boat yard manager called the Coast Guard numerous times to complain, but since it wasn’t a no-wake zone, not much could be done. If I’d been injured significantly, we could have gone after the wake-maker, but by the time the wake would hit us, the wake-maker would be long gone.
Ron Dwelle
Prairie 36, Prairie Dog, Florida
Eagle 32, Mossy Paws, Michigan
